Automatic zig-zag sewing machine



Jan. 18, 1966 YASUKATA EGUCHI 3,229,654

AUTOMATIC ZIG-ZAG SEWING MACHINE Original Filed Feb. 2, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ZNVENTOR.

W Q a-db BY gM [-34% Jan. 18, 1966 YASUKATA EGUCHI 3,229,654

AUTOMATIC ZIG-ZAG SEWING MACHINE Original Filed Feb. 2, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 18, 1966 YASUKATA EGUCHI AUTOMATIC ZIG-ZAG SEWING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed Feb. 2, 1960 Patented J an. 18, 1966 3,229,654 AUTOMATIC ZIG-ZAG SEWlNG MACHINE Yasukata Eguchi, Kunitachimachi, Kitatamagun, Tokyo, Japan, assignor to Janome Sewing Machine Co., Ltd, Tokyo, Japan Continuation of application Ser. No. 6,314, Feb. 2, 1960. This application Sept. 18, 1962, Ser. No. 224,430 Claims priority, application Japan, Sept. 16, 1959, 34/29,148 3 Claims. (Cl. 112-158) This is a continuation application of application Serial No. 6,314, Automatic Zig-Zag Sewing Machine, filed February 2, 1960, and now abandoned.

The invention relates generally to an automatic zigzag sewing machine. More specifically, this invention relates to cam selection and oscillation transmitting means in combination with the amplitude adjusting means.

The main object of the invention is to provide an improved automatic zig-zag sewing machine, wherein the pattern cam selection and oscillation transmission can be brought into effect in an accurate, smooth and easy manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved automatic zig-zag sewing machine, wherein the amplitude adjusting means are of a compact and simple construction, yet efficient in its operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved automatic zig-zag sewing machine, the pattern cam selection, oscillation-transmitting means as well as amplitude-adjusting means of which may be easily assembled or de-assembled, as desired.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from a consideration of the detailed description wihch follows, taken together with the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for illustration purposes only, and are not to be construed as defining the limits of the invention.

In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like par-ts:

FIG. 1 shows a front view of the automatic zig-zag sewing machine according to the invention;

FIG. 2 represents a horizontal section through essential parts of said machine;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line IIIIII in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of essential parts of said machine;

FIG. 5 represents perspective views illustrating several constituents of said machine.

Now, referring to the accompanying drawings, in a horizontal elongated hollow arm of the machine housing 50, a driving shaft 1 is rotatably mounted in the machine frame 50, and a cam shaft 6 is arranged physically in parallel with the shaft 1 in longitudinal direction of the hollow arm, the said cam shaft being driven at a reduced rate through reduction gearing 2-5 from the driving shaft 1 with rotation thereof. The cam shaft 6 mounts a stitch cam packet 7, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, for rotation therewith. A horizontal supporting shaft 8 is mounted in the hollow arm of the machine frame 50 in parallel with the cam shaft 6, the said shaft 8 being provided with a plurality of operating levers or carrier members 9 rotatably mounted thereon in registration with the corresponding number of pattern cams of packet 7. The detailed construction of each operating lever carrier 9 is best seen from FIG. 5. The carrier 9 is formed with a supporting portion or flange 29 thereon which mounts a coil spring 10, an engaging portion, and a central portion closely adjacent the correlated stitch cam. The spring 10 abuts with its upper end against a stopper plate 12 having an L-shaped cross-section, the said plate being fixed to the machine frame 511 by means of fixing screws 11, as shown in FIG. 3, wherein only one of the said screws is shown. The lower end of each spring 10 is kept in pressure contact with the arm 67 of a carrier 9 which is provided substantially at its central portion with an opening 36 for tight reception of a pin 13 which mounts thereon a cam follower 14 having engageable pawl-shaped opposite ends 35 and 34. These followers 14 correspond in their number to the pattern or stitch cam-s forming the said cam packet 7 and are arranged in registration with said pattern cams in one-to-one arrangement. The one end 35 of each cam follower 14 is adapted to engage with the corresponding pattern cam and the central portion and this end portion are closely spaced from the stitch cam when the respective carrier 9 is in an operative position, while the opposite end of the follower is kept in resilient contact with a motion-transmitting plate or reciprocable member 15 which is pivoted at its car 32 to the machine frame 50 by means of a pin 16, while the opposite end of said plate 15 is equally pivoted at yoke 33 and made integral therewith to said frame 50 by means of a relatively short pin 17 to which said yoke 33 is deta-chably fixed by means of a couple of fixing screws 18. Reciprocable member can rock about an axis parallel to the cam axis, and is located closely adjacent the cams between the same and shaft 8. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a supporting frame 20 is fixedly mounted on machine frame 50, said supporting frame in turn mounting rotatably a selector drum 19 through the intermediary of a further shaft 28. The drum 19 is for-med on its peripheral surface with a plurality of actuating projections 36 adapted to act upon the lower pawl-shaped ends of said carriers 9. The horizontal hollow arm of frame 50 has a bracket 20 with a vertical extension 37 integral therewith, a rotatable shaft 22 fixed thereon with a pinion 23 at its one end being mounted in said extension and extending outwardly of the machine frame and at right angles to the axis of shaft 18 of selector member 19. The shaft 22 is provided at its projecting end with a pattern selecting knob 21 or operating member, while said pinion 23 is kept in meshing engagement with a gear 24, which is fixed onto the rotatable member 19 at the center portion thereof. A ratchet wheel 25 is fixed onto said shaft 22, said ratchet being formed with a number of engaging recesses 38, as in the usual manner on its peripheral surface. A spring plate 27 is fixed on a flange provided at the upper end of said extension 37 by means of fixing screws 26 and adapted with its pawl-shaped free end 40 to engage with one of said engaging recesses 38. The knob 21 is provided thereon with a number of stitch pattern representations 41 and is located on the front face of the horizontal hollow arm opposite the operator so the symbols 41 can be easily observed; When an operator turns the knob 21 in the right or left as he desires so as to bring any selected one of said pattern representations in registra-tion with an indicator 42 on the machine frame which is illustrated in FIG. 1, the machine will produce the corresponding Zig-zag stitch on the material as will be described more in detail hereinbelow.

With the machine above described, when the knob 21 is rotated so as to register a pattern representation 41 thereon with indicator 42, the shaft 22 is correspondingly rotated thereby the rotatable member 19 being caused also to rotate through the intermediary of gears 23 and 24. In this way, a suitably selected one of engaging projections 36 on the peripheral surface 43 of selector member 19 is caused to engage and urge the pawl end 31 of carrier 9 to move. More specifically, the carrier 9 is rotated thereby around the supporting shaft 8 from the retarded position as illustrated by the imaginary lines in FIG. 3 to an advanced position as shown by the full lines. The cam follower 14 is thereby caused to move from its inoperative position illustrated by the imaginary lines to the operative position as shown by the full lines, wherein the engaging pawl-shaped end 35 is kept in pressure contact with the working peripheral surface of the thus selected pattern cam while the opposite pawl end 34 of the follower 14 under consideration is equally maintained in engagement with the upper surface of lower end of the related transmission member 15. If the machine is operated to mm under the above mentioned conditions, rotation of the thus selected stitch cam which is driven through the cam shaft 7 from the driving shaft 1 is transmitted to the transmission member for effecting rocking motion of the latter which is in turn transmitted to the needle bar mechanism, not shown, for the necessary oscillatory movement thereof for the production of the desired stitch pattern on the material again not shown.

Transmission means to transmit the oscillatory movement of the motion-transmitting member 15 to the needle bar comprises the aforementioned supporting shaft 17 which is provided with an actuating arm 44 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 fixed thereto. In sliding contact with the upper surface of the arm 44 is kept an operating piece 54 which is urged by a spring (not shown) provided in the needle bar mechanism to engage with said upper surface. An amplitude-adjusting knob 55 is separately provided on a shaft 45 which is rotatably mounted in the machine frame, said shaft 45 being provided with a downwardly depending operating piece 66 from one end thereof and preferably made integral therewith. A connecting link 46 is connected with said operating piece 66 at the lower end thereof, said link is in turn connected with a slide line 47 at its projected part 56 by means of a pin 57, said slide link 47 being provided with a guide slot 58 formed,

therein in which engages a guide pin 61 studded in a boss 60 of a frame member 59. The slide link 47 is linked to an amplitude adjusting lever 48 by means of a pin 65, the last mentioned lever being provided with a zig-zag shaped arm 49 projecting from and made integral with the main portion thereof. The arm 49 is formed at its free end with a fork 52 slidably engaging with a pin 53, which is fixed on the projection 54 of said operating piece 54. The aforementioned amplitude adjusting lever 48 is pivoted at its intermediate portion 62 of the machine frame by means of a pivot pin 63.

It will be clear from the foregoing, when the transmission member 15 is oscillated as in the previously described manner, depending upon the peripheral configuration of the cam selected-out of the cam packet, the movement is transmitted from said member 15 through actuating arm 44 and operating piece 54 to the connecting rod 51 operatively connected wtih the needle bar mechanisrn, which is thus given the necessary lateral oscillatory motion for zig-zag stitching. By turning the knob 55 shown in FIG. 2, the connecting link 46 is caused to slide to the left or the right, as the case may be, through the,

4 intermediary of operating piece 66 and with the attached pin 61 guided in the slot 58. By this action, the lever 48 together with its projecting arm 49 is caused to rotate about the pivot pin 63 thereby the operating piece 54 being pivoted through the engagement between pin 53 and fork 52 and about the pivot point of connecting rod 51 in the upward or downward direction seen from FIG. 2, as the case may be. By this operation, the amplitude of lateral oscillation for zig-zag stitching transmitted from actuating arm 44 to connecting rod 51 may be adjusted by the operators will. More specifically, when the operating piece 54 is brought into registrationwith the axis of supporting shaft 17, the amplitude of lateral oscillation of the needle bar is kept at nil value in spite of the operation of the actuating arm. On the contrary, when the operating piece 54 is shifted from the above mentioned nil-position through an intermediate position as illustrated in FIG. 2 to the uppermost position relative to actuating arm 44 as seen fromthe same figure, the amplitude will amount to its largest value.

It will be seen from above, by manipulating the knob 55, amplitude modified zig-zag movement as desired by the operator will be transmitted to the needle mechanism.

As describedhereinbefore, in the machine according to the present invention, the cam follower adapted to transmit oscillatory movement depending upon the' peripheral configuration of any selected one of the pattern cams to transmission member operatively connected to the needle bar mechanism is provided with an operating piece which is provided with an engageable pawl end adapted to be acted-upon by any selected one of projections formed on a rotatable member, which is in turn rotatable by manipulating a knob for turning thereof and with use of the above arrangement possibilities of simple, smooth and accurate cam selection and positive transmission of the thus produced oscillatory movement to the needle =bar mechanism can be brought into effect, yet providing a simple construction of the related whole arrangement and possibilities of easy assembly or de-assembly, as the case may be, of the constituent included therein.

It will be further clear from the foregoing that in the machine according to this invention, further provision of increased number of said projections 36 on the rotatable member 19 will provide possibilities of the production of complex stitch patterns. More specifically, when two or more projections 36 are formal on the periphery surface 43 of said rotatable member 19 at one and the same angular position thereof and so on around the shaft 28 of said member so as to be engageable with the corresponding number of pawl end 31 simultaneously, when these projections are brought to their service positions, two or more cam followers 14 will become effective at the same time, thus providing a possibility of production of a complex stitch pattern comprising a combination of two or more patterns otherwise produced individually. Such a combination can be effectively transmitted through the intermediary of said transmission member 15 to the needle bar mechanism.

Although substantially a certain particular embodiment of the invention is herein disclosed for purposes of explanation, further modifications thereof, after study of this specification will be, apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. Reference should accordingly be had to the appended claim in determining the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a zig-Zag sewing machine, in combination, a housing including a horizontally extending elongated hollow arm; a row of rotary stitch cams having different cam track patterns and located in said hollow arm; a row of carrier members respectively correlated with said stitch cams and located in said hollow arm, each carrier member having a supporting portion, an engaging portion, and a central portion closely adjacent to the correlated stitch cam; a stationary shaft located in said hollow arm extending in longitudinal direction of the same and passing through said supporting portions for supporting said carrier members for turning movement between an inoperative position and an operative position independently of the other carrier members, said central portion being closer to said stitch cams in said operative position than in said inoperative position; spring means for urging said carrier members into said inoperative positions; a reciprocable member turnable about an axis parallel to said rows and located closely adjacent said stitch cams between the same and said shaft; a row of cam followers located in said hollow arm pivotally mounted on said control portions of said carrier members, respectively, said cam followers having first portions respectively cooperating with said cams and second portions slidingly engaging said reciprocable member, said first and second portions respectively projecting from said central portion toward said stitch cams and said reciprocable member closely spaced from said stitch cams, said reciprocable member extending across said second portions of all said cam followers, any one cam follower connecting the respective associated cam with said reciprocable member when the respective carrier member is in said operative position so that said reciprocable member is oscillated in accordance with the cam track pattern of the respective cam, and being spaced in said inoperative position of the respective carrier member from said reciprocable member and from the respective associated cam; a turnable selector member turnable about an axis parallel to said shaft located in said hollow arm extending in longitudinal direction of the same and having a plurality of axially and circumferentially spaced control portions and being turnable between a plurality of selecting positions in which different control portions thereof cooperate with engaging portions of said carrier members, respectively, to shift a selected carrier member to said operative position; an operating member turnable about an axis located in a plane perpendicular to said axis of said selector member, and being located on the front face of said hollow arm outside of the same; mean connecting said operating member with said selector member so that the latter is turned by operation of said operating member, and a needle bar assembly operatively connected to said reciprocable member to be reciprocated by the same in accordance with the cam track pattern selected by shifting one of said carrier members by said selector member to said operative position.

2. In a zig-zag sewing machine, in combination, a housing including a horizontally extending elongatedhollow arm; a row of rotary stitch cams having different cam track patterns and located in said hollow arm; a row of carrier members respectively correlated with said stitch cams and located in said hollow arm, each carrier member having a supporting portion, an engaging portion, and a central portion closely adjacent to the correlated stitch cam; a stationary shaft located in said hollow arm extending in longitudinal direction of the same and passing through said supporting portions for supporting said carrier members for turning movement between an inop erative position and an operative position independently of the other carrier members, said central portion being closer to said stitch cams in said operative position than in said inoperative position; spring means for urging said carrier members into said inoperative positions; a reciprocable member turnable about an axis parallel to said rows and located closely adjacent said stitch cams between the same and said shaft; a row of cam followers located in said hollow arm pivotally mounted on said control portions of said carrier members, respectively, said cam followers having first portion respectively cooperating with said cams and second portions slidingly engaging said reciprocable member, said first and second portions respectively projecting from said central portion toward said stitch cams and said reciprocable member closely spaced from said stitch cams, said reciprocable member extending across said second portions of all said cam followers, any one cam follower connecting the respective associated cam with said reciprocable member when the respective carrier member is in said operative position so that said reciprocable member is oscillated in accordance with the cam track pattern of the respective cam, and being spaced in said inoperative position of the respective carrier member from said reciprocable member and from the respective associated cam; a selector member turnable about an axis parallel to said shaft located in said hollow arm extending in longitudinal direction of the same and having a plurality of axially and circumferentially spaced control cam portions respectively located opposite said carrier members and engaged by the same under the action of said spring means, said selector member being turnable between a plurality of selecting positions in which different control cam portions thereof cooperate with engaging portions of said carrier members, respectively, to shift a selected carrier member to said operative position; a manually operated shaft extending perpendicularly to said axis of said selector member; transmission members on said manually operated shaft and on said selector member for connecting the same for turning movement; a knob located on the front face of said hollow arm outside of the same, said knob being secured to said last-mentioned shaft for turning the same whereby said selector member is turned by operation'of said knob; and a needle bar assembly operatively connected to said reciprocable member to be reciprocated by the same in accordance with the cam track pattern selected by shifting one of said carrier members by said selector member to said operative position.

3. In a zig-zag sewing machine, in combination, a housing including a horizontally extending elongated hollow arm; a row of rotary stitch cams having different cam track patterns and located in said hollow arm; a row of carrier members respectively correlated with said stitch cams and located in said hollow arm, each carrier member having a supporting portion, an engaging portion, and a central portion closely adjacent to the correlated stitch cam; a stationary shaft located in said hollow arm extending in longitudinal direction of the same and passing through said supporting portions for supporting said carrier members for turning movement between an inoperative position and an operative position independently of the other carrier members, said central portion being closer to said stitch cams in said operative position than in said inoperative position; a spring means for each carrier member urging the respective carrier member into said inoperative position thereof; a reciprocable member turnable about an axis parallel to said rows and located closely adjacent said stitch cams between the same and said shaft; a row of cam followers located in said hollow arm pivotally mounted on said control portions of said carrier members, respectively, said cam followers having first portions respectively cooperating with said cams and second portions slidingly engaging said reciprocable member, said first and second portions respectively projecting from said central portion toward said stitch cams and said reciprocable member closely spaced from said stitch cams, said reciprocable member extending across said second portions of all said cam followers, any one cam follower connecting the respective associated cam with said reciprocable member when the respective carrier member is in said operative position so that said reciprocable member is oscillated in accordance with the cam track pattern of the respective cam, and being spaced in said inoperative position of the respective carrier member from said reciprocable member and from the respective associated cam; a selector member turnable about an axis parallel to said shaft located in said hollow arm extending in longitudinal direction of the same and having a plurality of axially and circumferentially spaced control cam portions respectively located opposite said carrier members and engaged by the same under the action of said spring means, said selector member being turnable 0 between a plurality of selecting positions in which different control cam portionslhereof cooperate with engaging portions of said carrier members, respectively, to shift a selected carrier member to said operative position; a manually operated shaft extending perpendicularly to said axis of said selector member; transmission members on said manually operated shaft and on said selector member for connecting the same for turning movement; a knob located. on the front face of said hollow arm outside of the same, said knob being secured to said lastmentioned shaft for turning the same whereby said selector member is turned by operation of said knob; ratchet mean-s operatively connected with said manually operated shaft so that the same is turnable only in one direction, said ratchet means being located in said hollow arm; and a needle bar assembly operatively connected to said reciprocable member to be reciprocated by the same in ac- 2,972,319 2/1961 Moro 112--158 3,041,988 7/1962 Fujita 112-158 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,221,351 1/1960 France.

778,757 7/ 1957 Great Britain.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

5 DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, RUSSELL C. MADER,

Examiners. 

1. IN A ZIG-ZAG SEWING MACHINE, IN COMBINATION, A HOUSING INCLUDING A HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING ELONGATED HOLLOW ARM; A ROW OF ROTARY STITCH CAMS HAVING DIFFERENT CAM TRACK PATTERNS AND LOCATED IN SAID HOLLOW ARM; A ROW OF CARRIER MEMBERS RESPECTIVELY CORRELATED WITH SAID STITCH CAMS AND LOCATED IN SAID HOLLOW ARM, EACH CARRIER MEMBER HAVING A SUPPORTING PORTION, AN ENGAGING PORTION, AND A CENTRAL PORTION CLOSELY ADJACENT TO THE CORRELATED STITCH CAM; A STATIONARY SHAFT LOCATED IN SAID HOLLOW ARM EXTENDING IN LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF THE SAME AND PASSING THROUGH SAID SUPPORTING PORTIONS FOR SUPPORTING SAID CARRIER MEMBERS FOR TURNING MOVEMENT BETWEEN AN INOPERATIVE POSITION AND AN OPERATIVE POSITION INDEPENDENTLY OF THE OTHER CARRIER MEMBERS, SAID CENTRAL PORTION BEING CLOSER TO SAID STITCH CAMS IN SAID OPERATIVE POSITION THAN IN SAID INOPERATIVE POSITION; SPRING MEANS FOR URGING SAID CARRIER MEMBERS INTO SAID INOPERATIVE POSITIONS; A RECIPROCABLE MEMBER TURNABLE ABOUT AN AXIS PARALLEL TO SAID ROWS AND LOCATED CLOSELY ADJACENT SAID STITCH CAMS BETWEEN THE SAME AND SAID SHAFT; A ROW OF CAM FOLLOWERS LOCATED IN SAID HOLLOW ARM PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID CONTROL PORTIONS OF SAID CARRIER MEMBERS, RESPECTIVELY, SAID CAM FOLLOWERS HAVING FIRST PORTIONS RESPECTIVELY COOPERATING WITH SAID CAMS AND SECOND PORTIONS SLIDINGLY ENGAGING SAID RECIPROCABLE MEMBER, SAID FIRST AND SECOND PORTIONS RESPECTIVELY PROJECTING FROM SAID CENTRAL PORTION TOWARD SAID STITCH CAMS AND SAID RECIPROCABLE MEMBER CLOSELY SPACED FROM SAID STITCH CAMS, SAID RECIPROCABLE MEMBER EXTENDING ACROSS SAID SECOND PORTIONS OF ALL SAID CAM FOLLOWERS, ANY ONE CAM FOLLOWER CONNECTING THE RESPECTIVE ASSOCIATED CAM WITH SAID RECIPROCABLE MEMBER WHEN THE RESPECTIVE CARRIER MEMBER IS IN SAID OPERATIVE POSITION SO THAT SAID RECIPROCABLE MEMBER IS OSCILLATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CAM TRACK PATTERN OF THE RESPECTIVE CAM, AND BEING SPACED IN SAID INOPERATIVE POSITION OF THE RESPECTIVE CARRIER MEMBER FROM SAID RECIPROCABLE MEMBER AND FROM THE RESPECTIVE ASSOCIATED CAM; A TURNABLE SELECTOR MEMBER TURNABLE ABOUT AN AXIS PARALLEL TO SAID SHAFT LOCATED IN SAID HOLLOW ARM EXTENDING IN LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF THE SAME AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF AXIALLY AND CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED CONTROL PORTIONS AND BEING TURNABLE BETWEEN A PLURALITY OF SELECTING POSITIONS IN WHICH DIFFERENT CONTROL PORTIONS THEREOF COOPERATE WITH ENGAGING PORTIONS OF SAID CARRIER MEMBERS, RESPECTIVELY, TO SHIFT A SELECTED CARRIER MEMBER TO SAID OPERATIVE POSITION; AN OPERATING MEMBER TURNABLE ABOUT AN AXIS LOCATED IN A PLANE PERPENDICULAR TO SAID AXIS OF SAID SELECTOR MEMBER, AND BEING LOCATED ON THE FRONT FACE OF SAID HOLLOW ARM OUTSIDE OF THE SAME; MEANS CONNECTING SAID OPERATING MEMBER WITH SAID SELECTOR MEMBER SO THAT THE LATTER IS TURNED BY OPERATION OF SAID OPERATING MEMBER, AND A NEEDLE BAR ASSEMBLY OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID RECIPROCABLE MEMBER TO BE RECIPROCATED BY THE SAME IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CAM TRACK PATTERN BY SAID SELECTOR MEMBER TO SAID OPERATIVE POSITION. 